How do #Teamcoco like to chill after a day of work in the city? Experiential food and great cocktails in a convenient, stylish setting is no bad suggestion. So when we heard that Treves & Hyde had opened up near Aldgate, not too far from where our writer, Rachael Lindsay, is based, we sent her to check it out…
For me, the location of Treves & Hyde is perfect – not too far from Aldgate station and within walking distance of Brick Lane and the City. Sometimes it can be tricky to find good places to eat after work in this area so a new opening with George Tannock heading up the kitchen sounded like a promising proposition.
The design of the first floor restaurant is refreshing. Airy with large windows welcoming in the evening sun, fun with mustard yellow chairs and pot plants, but also very simple with a bare spiral staircase and half painted concrete. Not too hipster or in-your-face, leaving the food centre-stage.
George Tannock, who lists some impressive establishments like The Fat Duck, Zuma and The Dorchester on Park Lane on his CV, heads up the kitchen. His ethos is responsibly sourced food, simple ingredients and passionate people. The service staff are incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about every dish, showing that Treves & Hyde genuinely employ people who share his mission.
What about the drink? Well, the cocktails are expertly mixed by Stefano Campigli and I enjoy a Sloe Gin Fizz prepared with home-made syrup, contrasting foamy egg white with sherbet sweetness. The wine, picked out by our waiter based on our menu choices, is a Picpoul which complemented but never overpowered the gentle flavours of the food.
And the dishes? We choose little appetisers like red pesto arancini and peppers with cod brandade and saffron aioli and fresh starters including seared tuna with edamame and seaweed crisp, and diver scallop with chestnut and pickled cabbage. The flavours are delicate and expertly paired; the creamy cod filled peppers particularly mouth-watering and the tuna and scallop clearly of the freshest quality.
The starters are light, leaving us hungry for the main event, where we choose beef brisket with bacon pudding and cod with cockles and kale. The dishes are well-matched with playful side dishes such as sweet potato with tahini and pomegranate or tenderstem broccoli topped with eerily moving fish scales of katsuoboshi.
I would recommend the cod, a fish whose flavour is usually obscured by batter or sauce, but which is here cooked to perfection and enhanced rather than smothered by its accompaniments of polenta, creamy cockles and beer pickled shallots. The beef is tender and rich, although we find the bacon pudding, a recipe apparently handed down from the chef’s grandmother, to be a little starchy.
We try both desserts on the menu, a butterscotch creme caramel with salted popcorn and a dark Valhrona chocolate slice with pistachio. The smaller creme caramel is ideal if you are feeling full and the Valhrona is devilish and divine if you want a serious chocolate hit to end the evening.
Approachable and adventurous, that is how I would describe Treves & Hyde. George Tannock is experimenting gently, without doing anything superficial or superfluous, and always keeps the original ingredient front of mind. The prices are affordable considering the location and quality of the dishes, making this a lovely spot for an after-work treat. A big thumbs up from #TeamCoco, and keep an eye on Chef George Tannock for exciting things to come.
Rachael dined at Treves & Hyde, 15-17 Leman Street, London E1 8EN. For more information, visit www.trevesandhyde.com.
Chinese food fans, grab your meat buns and milk teas and rejoice! This weekend sees the return of the Chinese Food Festival in Potters Field, and Team Coco previews some of the festival’s most mouth-watering vendors.This year’s theme was taken from the tradition of Chinese markets called yè shì; which are late night markets that have been a popular tradition all across China. This weekend, you can enjoy exotic delicacies from all over China, set beneath the magnificent backdrop of Tower Bridge. Over 20 vendors will serve over 100 authentic night market dishes from many of China’s different provinces. From the infamous Wuhan Chili Oil Braised Crayfish, spicy Xiaoman noodles, Cantonese Char sit pork ( a personal favourite) and a selection of Taiwanese classics.
Visitors will also get the chance to experience a free masterclass from the legendary Lee Kum Kee Chinese Kitchen (any Chinese cook knows that Lee Kum Kee’s special oyster sauce is a must-have in any home kitchen) who will be teaching classic BBQ chicken Bao and pickled vegetable recipe in collaboration with The School of Wok. Guests can also enjoy traditional Chinese beers like Cobra, Snow Beer, as JiangXiaoBai Baiju bar will be serving drinks till late — in true night market fashion.
With all the fantastic food on offer — here’s our take on some of the Chinese Food Festival vendors that we got to preview in Old Spitalfields Market ahead of the festival.
Yifang Milk Tea
If you’ve ever come across Yifang’s Milk Tea stall in Covent Garden – you’d easily spot the super long snaking queue for the shops absolutely delectableall natural milk teas. We tried their classic Fresh milk tea with pearl and their yummy Yifang Fruit Tea. Try their new viral sensation which is the Mud flip Tea – a tea that is both Tea and dessert all rolled into one.
Jiaba
There is no better accompaniment to milk tea than Jiaba’s Yansunji and braised pork rice. Yansunji is a special Chinese style fried chicken that is an absolute taste sensation, featuring Chinese five spice. Their Jiaba box combines traditional Yansunji with an aromatic braised pork rice and tea egg — perfect for a scrumptious autumn evening meal!
Pleasant Lady
A Jian Bing is a street food favourite in Shandong and was popularised in the Tianjin region. (Imagine a Chinese style crepe but with sweet and savoury meet fillings) Traditionally eaten for breakfast, Pleasant Lady brings these hearty wraps straight into the hearts of Londoners everywhere
Wheel cake Island
Imagine a lovely fluffy pancake filled with sinfully sweet custard creams and you’ll get Wheelcake Island. A dessert mash-up of epic proportions that quickly became an indulgent office favourite. Wheel cake Island offers sweet fillings of Azuki Bean, Vanilla Custard, Matcha and a Vanilla chocolate hybrid that’s to die for.
If you don’t know Marbella then you might think the dining scene doesn’t get much better than celeb hangouts, La Sala and Olivia’s, however you couldn’t be more wrong. Just a stone’s throw away from the Old Town of Marbella is a jewel in the Costa del Sol culinary crown, Michelin star restaurant Messina.
If you are a keen foodie looking for sophisticated dining and a gourmet treat, then this place is a must. This contemporary restaurant, with minimalist décor offers an upscale dining experience without feeling snobby. Open plan, bright and airy, Messina is chic and unpretentious with friendly and welcoming waiting staff.
The menu is a collection of eclectic unique tastes combining flavours from Spain, South America and Asia, all created by Argentinian chef, Mauricio Giovanini. Messina is named after the Italian city his grandparents come from and has held a Michelin star since 2016, when he became the third Argentine to win the highest accolade in the world of gastronomy.
Giovanini is passionate about using fresh, local produce and his menu experiments with exciting flavours and textures offering a creative menu paired with some of the best wine. It really is a feasting experience and his adventure for flavour seeps through his tasting menu which Team Coco was lucky enough to sample.
The menu regularly changes depending on what’s in season but when I visited there was 10 bite sized dishes to try, all packing punchy flavours. There’s a great balance of vegetarian, seafood and meat plates to keep most palates happy. My menu at Messina included the following:
Yucca, creamy pickled aubergine and marinated red peppers Creamy chimichurri, tomato, and lemon Typical Argentinean manioc flour bread Sea urchin mi-cuit and celery root water Garganelli cooked in mirepoix stock served with aubergine and goat cheese Grilled white sea bass with grilled vegetables Cow sweet bread served with creamy lemon stew and spinach Iberian pork with creamy lentils and roasted onion Caramelized pineapple sorbet, red pepper and pisco sour Creamy black and milky chocolate, dulce de leche and peanut
My favourite was the Iberian pork, it was delicious, and tender served with creamy lentils and roasted onion. I literally savoured every morsel. I loved the whole menu, the tasting experience is a great way to try out Michelin star dining and at 69 Euros per head it’s good value. If you don’t fancy the Michelin star treatment at Messina then Giovanini is sprinkling his culinary magic at Amare Beach Hotel Marbella with the creation of Hayaca, the hotel’s new pop up restaurant, featuring a fusion of different Latin American dishes.
Team Coco travelled to Marbella courtesy of Amare Beach Hotel Marbella. For more information visit www.amarehotels.com/marbella
If you consider yourself a Yorkshire pudding expert keep reading …
The Botanist in Trinity is looking for one deserving Yorkshire resident to taste a range of puds – and they’ll pay you £250!
Sebastian, the Head Chef, put out the request and the ‘application’ process is as easy as pie (or pud). Simply reply to the advert telling him about your most memorable Sunday roast and you could be in with the chance to attend the tasting session.
He said: “The applicant with the story that makes us laugh or cry the most will be given the chance to join us at the tasting session”.
The lucky person will be served a range of Yorkshire puddings (with gravy obvs) and asked to decide which will make the perfect Sunday roast accompaniment.
From today until Sunday 9th April, London’s specialty cicchetti restaurant and bar TOZI will feature a limited-edition menu inspired by the culinary delights of Italy’s Piedmont region. If you’ve been keeping a weather eye on our social, you’ll know that I’ve spent some time with TOZI in Italy to find out exactly where their ingredients come from for The Discovery Issue of House of Coco, available soon.
Located in the north west of Italy, Piemonte is where the global slow-food movement began and is known for the quality of its primary ingredients. Beef from Fassona cattle braised in local wine such as Barolo or served as a carpaccio, perfectly cooked agnolotti pasta and truffle-based dishes are among the region’s most famous delicacies.
In celebration of this cuisine, TOZI’s head chef Maurilio Molteni has created four delicious dishes showcasing the very best of Piedmont’s culinary offering. Using local Piemontese ingredients, sourced from small, artisan producers and matched with regional wines, each dish on the menu is a taste of Piemonte.
Maurilio has also matched each plate with its perfect wine pairing.
TOZI’s Piemonte-themed menu:
Carpaccio di Fassona,pickled mushrooms and parmesan £ 9.50
Wine pairing: Gavi di Gavi, Ernesto Picollo £8.50 (125 ml)
With memories of sticky club nights at Manumission, fry-ups in the sunshine and an ill-fated hungover scooter ride from my last trip just over a decade ago, we dipped over the impossibly blue sea and landed in Ibiza. This time, however, I was to avoid singing Vengaboys as much as possible as we were off to explore the blissed out, bohemian side of the legendary isle.
A mecca for free-spirits since the 1950s, Ibiza’s hippy culture is still alive and the sound of drums at sunset increase the further you get away from the Brits abroad buzz of San Antonio. If you’re looking to kick back and focus on your well-being and meditation for a few days, read on. If you are hitting the clubs this summer and just want some hangover cure activities, the following should clear your mind and cleanse your spirit of the shots of the night before.
Tranquil Northern Ibiza
With the island only 40km long, staying far from the madding crowd couldn’t be easier. We stayed at the adults only (but not THAT kind of adults only, as I kept telling my friends) Barceló Portinatx (Venda de Portinatx, 62 barcelo.com ) resort in the north of the island just a 40-minute scenic drive from the airport. Take hand luggage only and you’ll be off the plane and by the pool in no time.
All the rooms in this bright and spacious hotel come with terraces with sun loungers allowing you to sunbathe in complete tranquillity if you just don’t have the energy to expend to pop down to one of the resort’s two pools or even the secluded beach, only 20m away.
The setting couldn’t be more idyllic with stunning sunsets and sunrises above the Portinatx cove which stood in for a much further flung island in the late ’50s film version of South Pacific. In fact, sitting in the hotel’s beachfront Noray restaurant with a goblet of G&T, guitar duo playing and the sky turning pink, it’s hard to believe that you can get here on a budget airline and no jetlag. You could just come to the island for some R&R and you wouldn’t have to go far with the tranquil outdoors Wellness Centre at Barceló Portinatx, with an almond oil massage and experience showers to jump into in between dips in the pool and a complimentary yoga class with views of the Balearic. But, this is the adventure issue so no lounging around for #TeamCoco… okay, maybe just a little bit with a mooch around the stunning true Ibiza feel shop/bar Los Enamorados (103, Calle de Portinatx, losenamoradosibiza.com) with a sundowner cocktail.
Portinatx is located in Sant Joan de Labritja and is the only true tourist resort in this region meaning that a short trip from this coastline you can lose yourself down dusty roads lined with fincas and their lemon groves. The village of Sant Joan is dreamily referred to as ‘the last village’ of the island with its white-walled houses with colourful doors begging you to sit in the sun with a cerveza or explore their artisan market every Sunday.
The village is home to a number of quirky small businesses, like intriguing coffee house-shop-hairdresser Los Otros (Carrer de Sa Cala 15, Sant Joan De Labritja losotrosibiza.com). Pop in for beautiful gifts and a trim and stay for their legendary veggie pink burger from chef Mirjam, author of popular veggie cookbook ‘Veggie Very Much’. After your healthy lunch and retail therapy pop to The Giri Cafe’s garden (Plaza España 5, cafe.thegiri.com ) for a few cheeky sun-drenched afternoon cocktails in the shade of their centuries-old townhouse.
There’s hidden magic to this island everywhere you look. The village of Sant Joan celebrates its patron, Saint John The Baptist on 23rd June with a riotous party with fireworks and bonfires. During the festivities, you can ward away evil spirits by noting down all the negative things that have happened to you in the previous year in a list and chucking it in a bonfire. Then, set intentions for the next year with a new list of goals.
Hippy Heaven
While many of the full-moon free-spirit partiers may have moved on from the hedonism of the ’70s, there are still authentic glimpses into nomadic life around, especially in the north of the island. Parked up in the dusty sand, in the shadow of pine trees in Portinatx, every morning you’ll find traveller couples enjoying breakfast on the rocks and sweeping out their vans. As the sun sets on a Sunday evening, if you are lucky, you’ll catch groups of them drumming on the beach here and also at nearby Benirrás Beach. Apparently, this tradition dates from ‘The Day of The Drums’ on Sunday 18th August 1991 when hundreds of people gathered to protest the Gulf War.
You won’t have to go far before stumbling over ‘authentic hippy souvenirs’ but take these with a pinch of salt. It’s not really the free-spirit way to have things mass produced for a profit. However, to soak up some of the atmosphere of the ’70s it’s definitely worth grabbing a cold one and losing yourself in Ibiza’s original hippy market, Es Cana in Punta Arabi, 10am – 8pm every Wednesday or the famous night market at Las Dalias which runs until 1am on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the summer months. The scents, sights and sounds of these markets will transport you back in time and have you considering all manner of floaty clothes that you’ll then attempt to work into your office attire when back home. A boyfriend blazer works over all kinds of maxi-dresses, trust me.
If you can’t peel yourself away from your sun lounger to make it to the full hippy market experience, check out WorldFamilyIbiza.com – the family-run free-spirited brand which has expanded from Las Dalias market to, fittingly, the world with their colourful collections.
Exploring the seas
You can’t come to Ibiza and not take the opportunity to get out in the sparkling sea. The clear water is thanks to the protected meadows of oceanic seagrass and you won’t believe the turquoise translucency of the water as you come into Formentera by boat. There are a number of larger boats which travel across from the port in Ibiza town but for a true sense of adventure chartering a smaller boat is definitely recommended from the luxe Marina Botafach. Leisurely floating along, hearing tales of pirates, spying luxury yachts that Robert DeNiro has rocked up on and even glimpsing a dolphin, you can see why people have flocked to these magical islands for decades.
Formentera is the smallest and most southernly Balearic island with bright white sands and out of this world blue sea and sky. It’s not hard to see why Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin embraced spending time here in the ’60s and Cara and Leonardo can be found losing themselves in these pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming surroundings. Arrive here and grab a bicycle or scooter to explore your way, with beautiful beaches all around the coast and wall-to-wall sunshine, choose your adventure. From beach chiringuitos where you can grab snacks to the unmissable homemade vanilla ice-cream at the stunning Es Moli De Sal restaurant on Playa de Illetas, there will be plenty of instagrammable treats on the way.
Hidden Gems
Still got a hankering for more of magical, bohemian Ibiza? In the South of the island is the impressive towering island of Es Vedra where Tanit, the goddess of love and fertility is believed to have lived. It’s also where the sirens who lured Odysseus from his ship lived according to local legend and claims to be the third most magnetic spot in the world, just behind the North Pole and Bermuda Triangle. If that wasn’t enough mystery for you, it’s also said to be the tip of the sunken city of Atlantis. The location of this Atlantis is supposedly secret but if you are feeling adventurous, follow the track down towards Sa Pedrera (the cove’s non-new-age name), it’s a steep journey but one that will reward you with carvings and paintings left by the nomads before you.
Where to stay…
We travelled to Ibiza with British Airways and stayed in a Superior Room with Ocean View at the Barceló Portinatx (barcelo.com) including the gorgeous breakfast buffet.
The team at the hotel will be happy to arrange transfers and taxis to and from the hotel to help you explore off-the-beaten-track Ibiza.
Why brave the storm this weekend when you can stay cosy in the kitchen and bake up a storm of your own? Surprisingly easy and lightly spiced, this cake is ready in under 80 minutes.
Ingredients
13/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon self-raising flour 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup baking margarine 4 medium eggs 1 pear, peeled cored and diced 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger Ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon golden syrup 2/3 cup icing sugar 6 crushed Biscoff cookies Splash water
Method Step 1 Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Lightly grease a bundt pan and set aside. Step 2 Combine the flour, light brown sugar, margarine, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk until smooth. Gently fold the pear into the cake batter along with the spices and golden syrup. Step 3 Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt tin. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack. Step 4 When the cake is fully cool, whisk together the icing sugar with a splash of water. Keep adding water a little at a time until the icing reaches a smooth pouring consistency. Step 5 Pour the icing over the bundt, leaving it to run down the ridges of the cake. Sprinkle the crushed Biscoff cookies over the top and enjoy.
I can almost smell it, Spring is on the way and with that al-fresco, instead of al-desko, lunches are on the cards. Fighting the urge to sup some Pimms at 2pm on a Friday may be tough but hold off until happy hour and slay the rest of the work on your to-do list with a bubbly can of cold brew.
Sandow’s, the UK’s original cold brew coffee brand is launching two flavoured coffee sodas: Spice, a sparking coffee blended with ginger, orange blossom and black spice and Citrus, flavoured with lemon and lime and we, busy girls at House of Coco, can’t wait.
Since setting up shop in 2014 Sandow’s has taken over the UK selling to over 600 outlets and with their new cute-as-hell stubby can range, we’ll be popping one in our tote bags as a dairy-free caffeinated pick-us-up.
Sandow’s sodas are £1.99 for 250 mls, and available from Selfridges, Whole Foods Market, selected independents and www.sandows.com
When this landed in our #TeamCoco inbox, we had to do a double take and make sure that we hadn’t missed the memo about playing pranks on Halloween but, sure enough, the world’s first pimple bar opens tomorrow – 31st October – in Antwerp.
YUN Probiotherapy are looking to burst (sorry, gross!) myths about pimples, provide private consultations, facials and any advice you’ve always wanted to seek but have had no idea where to do so. Over three floors you’ll find treatments, new products to make your face more like that angelic visage you’ve always wanted and a tasty tipple.
In addition to a novel approach to skincare, the pop-up addresses the fact that over 80% of people have had some sort of unpleasant skin problem leaving them feeling insecure and embarrassed. Hurrah! So we’re not alone in embracing ‘Netflix and Chill’ weekends due to our freaking weird early-winter skin.
Tom Verlinden is the Managing Director of Probiotherapy. Here’s what he has to say: “It’s awful to see people so embarrassed and losing confidence and that it has such a huge impact on their lives. The idea of this playful way of approaching the subject is to make it more socially acceptable; break the taboo and get people feeling able to talk about it. The Pimple bar is somewhere anyone can feel at ease; there’s really no reason to feel embarrassed or insecure. And it’s an approachable way for us to inform people about our revolutionary therapies.”
The Pimple bar will be open for 10am to 5pm every day from 27th October to 5th November –except Sundays and public holidays at Wiegstraat 16, 2000 Antwerpen
Here at #TeamCoco we are a little a bit over excited that it’s the spring bank holiday weekend, meaning that spring is finally here (with a whole lot of April showers), but we’re rolling with it, and it’s a three-day weekend! The early May bank holiday always brings a variety of exciting activities to London, so we’ve listed our top picks for you to enjoy if you’re in the city this weekend!
Kerb does Alchemy: The brilliant Southbank Asian street food festival is back and lucky for us, it falls right over the bank holiday weekend, from 3 – 7 May. Transforming the SE1 concrete into a rambunctious raft of heat and spice. This year they are packing in the flavour with a 29-strong fleet of traders cooking up dishes from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as part of Southbank’s South Asian Alchemy Festival 2018.
Arcadia festival: To celebrate the tenth anniversary, the spectacular Arcadia is landing in London. For those of you who haven’t seen Arcadia at Glastonbury, Boomtown, or the likes, this is now your chance. The 50 tonne Arcadia Spider is one of the world’s most iconic festival stages. Arcadia London is an immersive festival, fusing monumental spectacle, high octane performance and thunderous bass into a spellbinding sensory experience. Explore the festival as sun soaked bass rumbles across three stages, barbecues sizzle, and cocktails flow. Groove Armada and Norman Jay are amongst the talent playing Saturday, and on Sunday, Noisia and Rudimental close the party. Best thing is, tickets are still available. Grab yours here.
Picasso at Tate Modern: We would seriously recommend spending some of your Bank Holiday going to see the incredible Love, Fame and Tragedy exhibition at Tate Modern. 1932 was an intensely creative period in the life of the 20th century’s most influential artist. This is the first ever solo Pablo Picasso exhibition at Tate Modern. It will bring you face-to-face with more than 100 paintings, sculptures and drawings, mixed with family photographs and rare glimpses into his personal life. This exhibition is complex and rich, and gave us an insight into Picasso’s life that we had never seen before. Book ahead as it sure gets busy! If you can’t go over bank holiday weekend, the exhibition is on until 9 September 2018.
Skylight returns to London: After two incredible seasons of fun that saw over 60,000 people enjoy some of the best views, tasty cocktails, wine, beer and fun – Skylight is back for summer in the same spot in Tobacco Docks, and coincidentally reopens today! We think it is only polite that we pop in for at least one cocktail…especially as word on the street is that the watermelon mojitos and skylight sangrias are something else!
